This invention relates to dead man control arrangements for both push and self-propelled lawn mowers. Attention is directed to Hurd, U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,566 which discloses a single control member for actuating a clutch drive and mower propelling means, unlike the invention disclosed herein.
Attention is directed to a co-pending patent application filed by LaVerne D. Smith on Aug. 7, 1981 as Ser. No. 291,013, which is directed to energizing means including an electric switch and which is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention provides a lawn mower including a blade housing supporting a prime mover which drives a cutter blade. The prime mover causes rotation of a drive shaft and energizing means is provided for permitting energizing of the cutter blade which is operably connected to the drive shaft. A handle is connected to the housing and a control is movably attached to the handle.
The lawn mower further includes means for operating said energizing means by the movement of the control. This means includes a flexible member connecting the control and the energizing means and means for restricting a substantial portion of the flexible member to a predetermined path along the handle. The restricting means includes a pulley rotatably attached to the handle between the control and the housing and the flexible member is guided around the pulley.
In one embodiment, the lawn mower includes biasing means biasing the control toward a de-energized blade position and the biasing means and energizing means comprises a self-biasing clutch.
In one embodiment, the mower is self-propelled and includes travel means connected to the housing supporting travel of the housing over the ground. The mower also includes mower propelling means engagable with the travel means for propelling the mower over the ground. An upper handle is movably attached to the guiding handle and linkage means connects the upper handle to the mower propelling means. The linkage means is movable in response to movement of the upper handle to cause the operation of the mower propelling means. The self-propelled lawn mower has the control movably attached to the upper handle and the pulley has a periphery generally adjacent the attachment of the upper handle to the guiding handle so the upper handle and control can be operated independently.
In one embodiment, the lawn mower includes a lock lever means for preventing the inadvertent movement of the control. The lock lever means comprises a V-shaped lever pivotally attached to the guiding handle adjacent a plate with a rounded edge attached to the control adjacent the attachment of the control to the guiding handle. The plate's rounded edge includes a notch and the V-shaped lever is pivotable between a position where the lever is received in the notch and prevents the pivotal movement of the control and a position where the lever is out of the notch and permits the pivotal movement of the control.